From Deseret News archives:
Stingers lose 9th straight game
Portland wins in 11th, adding to Salt Lake's woes
One of the surest ways is to get the game in extra innings.
The Stingers lost for the eighth time in 10 extra-inning games, dropping a 4-3 decision to Portland in 11 innings Friday night at Franklin Covey Field.
The loss was the ninth in a row, extending the franchise record for most consecutive losses. The last Salt Lake victory was clear back on July 11 at Las Vegas.
Salt Lake jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and led until Portland tied it in the seventh. The Beavers scored in the top of the 11th thanks to an error and two singles with the RBI coming by Freddy Guzman.
The Stingers wasted a fine pitching performance by Chris Bootcheck, who gave up just five hits and had eight strikeouts in six innings. However Scott Dunn, the Stingers winningest pitcher this season, couldn't hold off the Beavers in the seventh.
The Stingers got on the board quickly as Zach Sorensen singled and Alfredo Amezaga tripled him in. With two out, Curtis Pride tripled to center field, driving in Amezaga. Salt Lake added a run in the fourth when Brian Gordon scored on Tom Gregorio's sacrifice.
The Beavers scored a run in the fourth without a hit, thanks to a pair of Salt Lake errors on one play. Then in the fifth, Portland added a run thanks to a passed ball off a strikeout and an RBI by Ramon Hernandez.
In the seventh, the Beavers tied the score with a run off Dunn thanks to another single by Hernandez and then loaded the bases. Dusty Bergman replaced Dunn and on his second pitch, he got pinch hitter Jose Nieves to ground into a forceout.
In the ninth, the speedy Guzman led off with a double and it looked like the Stingers might give away another game in the ninth. However, catcher Tom Gregorio noticed Guzman too far off the base and gunned him down going back to second.
The Stingers also had a chance in the ninth when Gregorio doubled with two out. However, Sorensen's grounder up the middle was snagged by J.J.. Furmaniak, who threw to first for the third out.
Sorensen had strong game for the Stingers, going 3 for 5 with a triple and two singles and he threw out a runner at the plate from centerfield to end the 11th inning.
However, it didn't make any difference when the Stingers went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning, including two strikeouts off Marty MeLeary. Steve Watkins (3-3) picked up the win for Portland, while Joel Peralta (3-1) took the loss.
NOTES: Former Salt Lake player Brian Buchanan, the all-time franchise leader in RBIs, was back in familiar territory for the first time in four years, playing first base for the Beavers. He went 0 for 3 with a pair of walks . . . There is hope for a win today. The only day of the week the Stingers have a winning record is Saturday when they are 7-5 . . . Brian Gordon struck out for the 100th time this season in the first inning and also struck out in the seventh . . . . . . First baseman Casey Kotchman hurt his shoulder diving for a grounder in the 11th . . . Attendance was 5,863.
E-mail: sor@desnews.com
